Accept the updated privacy & cookie policy

The TimesofIndia.com Privacy Policy and Cookie Settings has been updated to align with the new data regulations in European Union. Please review and accept these changes below to continue using the website. We use cookies to ensure the best experience for you on our website.

Pune: Youths pick candidates after thorough research

and Madha constituencies had done their homework well and made informed choices while casting their ballots on Tuesday.

Many said that though they did not attend any political rallies, they kept a tab on news and social media feeds to identify candidates whose promises aligned with their demands and aspirations.

Young voters, who cast their ballots at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School, Model Colony, had conducted extensive research. They made elaborate documents to analyse the candidates in the race.

Entrepreneur Parth Doshi said he took three hours to study the candidates. “Most people do not know the candidates’ background or even that 29 candidates are contesting from Pune. It would be great to have pamphlets with this information. I made a comparison table of the candidates before picking the one I vote for,” he said.

Sisters Anushka and Mythili Gosavi, who cast their votes for the first and second time respectively, too said they had researched the contestants before voting.

Parth Deshpande, a first-time voter from Model Colony, said, “I knew about the main candidates and knew who I wanted to vote for. As a student, I want the strengthening of international relations, which, in turn, will bring in FDI and consequently, jobs.”

Vaibhavi Dani, a final-year architecture student who voted at the Laxmidevi Naik Nimbalkar School in Phaltan, said, “I followed the news and came to know that the candidates were mainly involved in criticizing each other. They were not deliberating on development plans and a future roadmap.”

Isha Desai, who had first voted in the 2014, said she has voted for stability this time. “I was more hopeful in 2014. I believe the country needs stability now and I have voted accordingly,” she said.

Sejal Khater, a first-time voter, said, “There were a lot of issues at the back of my mind — traffic, transportation, price hike, etc. They may sound like clichés, but these issues need attention,” Khater said.